KUALA LUMPUR – The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) admitted today that Project 24, a blueprint announced in 2019 to end Malaysia’s wait for the elusive Olympic gold, has failed to meet its target.
In a special press conference at Akademi Badminton Malaysia, BAM secretary-general Datuk Kenny Goh acknowledged that, like every Malaysian, the national body had hoped for better results.
However, despite several near successes, the ultimate goal of winning an Olympic gold was not achieved.
“Are we happy? It’s a mix of feelings, I suppose. We were close, but we didn’t quite make it.
“Like everyone else, we want the best for the country.
“Whether it’s a failure or success depends on how you interpret it. Personally, I believe we did not achieve our target. I wish we could have done better; we wanted that gold badly, but it wasn’t to be.
“I don’t want to make excuses, but it’s important for us to put this behind us and move forward. We need to focus on how we can improve, as we have many new milestones to achieve,” Kenny said.
Apart from winning the Olympic gold, Project 24 also aimed for the national badminton team to reach the Thomas Cup and Sudirman Cup finals and to secure a World Championships title, which was achieved by top men’s doubles duo Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in 2022.
Looking ahead, Kenny emphasised the importance of recognising the positives and striving for improvement.
“We are entering a new Olympic cycle, which means we have new milestones to achieve. Next year, we have the SEA Games, and in 2026, the Asian and Commonwealth Games. We also have the Sudirman Cup next year, followed by the Thomas Cup.
“In all of this, we must acknowledge that we did some things right.
“Yes, we failed to hit the ultimate target, but let’s not forget that despite this, badminton remains the sport that has consistently contributed medals to our Malaysian contingent.
“Some may argue that they are only bronze medals, but we all saw how our shuttlers fought for them,” added Kenny.
For the record, the Malaysian contingent ended their Paris Olympic campaign with two bronze medals, courtesy of Aaron and Wooi Yik, who retained their bronze from three years ago, and men’s singles player Lee Zii Jia, who secured his first Olympic medal.
Separately, ABM coaching director Rexy Mainaky commented: “As Datuk Kenny mentioned, we came close on several occasions.
“What I want to say is that we need to eliminate the ‘almost’ and win that gold in 2028.
“We can’t stop people from saying what they want. Even to my friends in the media, let’s stay united and solid in this quest for gold.
“The only way to silence the critics is by winning gold.” – August 13, 2024